A Coyote looks into His Mind is a stunning painting of acrylic on linen that depicts the white jagged outline of a faintly defined coyote on a black background, with a bright red “X” striking through the composition. The line work is delicate yet dynamic, and a warping effect is used to create visual distortion. This, combined with the work’s eerie symbolism, dark background, and strong contrasting colors create a perfect storm of unease, guilt, and sorrow. Slick frequently uses the symbol of the coyote in his work because the animal holds significance to both the Meskwaki traditions and to him personally. It can be argued that the coyote in this piece represents Native Americans coping with their painful past, but Slick’s vagueness only leaves room for conjecture and speculation.

Portrait of To-Kan-Was-Teh is unlike much of Slick’s work, as it features a discernable figure. In this piece, a lone Native American man dressed in traditional regalia stands patiently facing the viewer. He holds an axe at his waist in a passive stance, and stares at the viewer with an expression full of what can only be described as sorrow. He seemingly floats in a blue oval, surrounded by a field of pitch black. This is yet another of Slick’s pieces that imparts a feeling of inescapable dread upon the viewer. The lack of context again leaves the viewer with only their emotions and speculation to discern what the meaning behind this piece could be. Unlike A Coyote looks into His Mind, Portrait of To-Kan-Was-Teh is definitively on the topic of Native Americans, as it prominently features one.

Both of these striking paintings combine the storytelling techniques of Native Americans with expressive yet simple symbolism to create emotionally deep explorations of the traumatic history of Indigenous Peoples. Rather than focus on specific historic events, Slick instead opts to employ vague imagery and powerful color to evoke the deep emotional trauma felt by Native Americans in the wake of centuries of genocide, oppression, and destruction of their culture. The intimate and personal emotions that his piece evoke highlight the personal struggles that individuals of Native American descent contend with, without indulging in the toxic practice of lumping all Indigenous people into one stereotypical group. Instead, Slick represents Native Americans as unique individuals who come from similar communities, and are united by their Native American heritage, rejecting the many stereotypes of that Native Americans must contend with. Duane Slick is a talented Native American painter who combats dominant narratives about Native Americans by showcasing a more personal and emotional take on the issues surrounding them. Through his artistic skill, symbolism and depressing yet contrasting colors, he successfully evokes an emotional response from the viewer.

 

Header image: 

Duane Slick, A Coyote Looks Into His Mind, 2013. Acrylic on Linen, 14” x 11″.

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Sources

“Duane Slick.” Rhode Island School of Design. Accessed March 27, 2019, https://www.risd.edu/people/duane-slick/

“Duane Slick.” NetWorks Rhode Island. Accessed March 27, 2019, https://networksrhodeisland.org/duane-slick/

Slick, Duane. “Duane Slick.” Accessed March 27, 2019, http://www.duaneslickstudios.com/index.html